A FINE TRIBUTE

Southland Times, Issue 18831, 26 May 1920, Page 5

A FINE TRIBUTE

DOMINION’S TROOPS IN ENGLAND

TRADE COMMISSIONER’S OBSER VATIONS.

(Per United Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, May 25

“So far as the advertising of New Zealand business is concerned,” remarked His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner in Mew Zealand (Mr R. W. Dalton), in speaking at to-day’s meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, “you may take it that the Dominion has been advertised in such a way during the last five years that it will be well looked after by British manufacturers.” Mr Dalton added that his experience at Home was that immediately he mentioned New Zealand there was a light in the eye of the British manufacturer, and other exhibitions of the keenest interest and sympathy for the Dominion. The reason, he discovered, was that the bearing of the New Zealand soldiers during their sojourn in England had spread throughout the length and breadth of the country an intense liking for the little Dominion. He assured his audience that they would find that the British manufacturer was prepared to supply New Zealand trade more readily than almost any other country in the world. As a matter of fact he believed that the Dominion was already receiving a bigger proportion of English exports than any other country.

“You rend.” he continued, “a 100 per cent, order and receive say 20 per cent., while most of the others receive only 15 per cent.” Once the British manufacturers get hack really into their stride they would sweep the Dominion with their output until they had recaptured their pre-war share (75 per cent.) of our import trade. At present their ratio was only 34 per cent. British manufacturers were keen, arid above all they were honest and straight. He believed that from 99 per cent, of the manufacturers of England, New Zealand had had a straight deal. For that reason he was confident that ultimately they would win back their lost trade one o they were in a position to take again their place in the world market.